


Desideratum

by writeitinred



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Angst, Bickering, First Time, Fluff, Kissing, Laurent smiling and being happy, M/M, Marriage, Smut, courting, horse back riding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:49:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5902450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeitinred/pseuds/writeitinred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All his life Damen has pictured the Land of Vere and the Land of Akielos ruling together, fighting side by side. Now with his father and brother gone he thinks that might still be possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Desideratum: things wanted or needed
> 
> Still crying over King's Rising but I promise you there will not be any spoilers except for maybe a couple things that will make their way into the chapters ahead. 
> 
> I think about how Laurent would have been if Auguste hadn't died a lot and it's time to write a fic about it. In the books, Laurent would have been about thirteen when Damen first saw him on the battlefield and he's thirteen in this fic but Damen will not actually court Laurent until he is actually eighteen. Damen wouldn't do that to Laurent and it's even said in the books that Damen would never touch a child so I just want to throw that out there. The first time happens in later chapters when Laurent is of the appropriate age of eighteen. 
> 
> If you guys want to talk about Captive Prince HC's or AU's or simply cry over the books with me my tumblr is http://writeitinred.tumblr.com/

“Sir, are you sure you want Prince Auguste and Prince Laurent here?”

Damen pops his head up from the documents in his hands to look at Nikandros. He looks anxious, like something is about to pop up and attack. He keeps his hands glued to his sides but Damen can tell that it’s taking every ounce of willpower to keep still. This must really be bothering him.

“Why wouldn’t I be sure, Nikandros? Is there a reason why I shouldn’t invite them to our land?”

In truth, there are a million reasons why he shouldn’t, but he ignores those thoughts as he looks back down at the papers in his hands. He has spent countless nights awake because of this invitation. So many hours and paper wasted so that the lines are nothing short of perfect. He wants nothing more than to be rid of the invitation, to let the nerves of what he has done sink in long after it is gone.

“Well, sir, we just had a war with the Veretians not too long ago. Plus, your father and brother have only just recently passed. Don’t you think that you should continue to mourn for another week or so instead of planning a feast?”

He knows that Nikandros is really trying to say. That the people are going to talk if he doesn’t spend the appropriate amount of time mourning his dead father and brother. People do little else than talk now and he has spent more than enough time mourning the loss of his family, but now it’s time to act like a King.

“While those are all valid points, my friend, I still need you to deliver this message to them. We need their friendship, Nikandros. Everyone tells me that I’ll be great King and this is where I start.”

He holds the invitation out for Nikandros to take, watching his friend debate with himself if he should take it or not. Damen doesn’t say anything, just stands there until his friend hesitantly reaches out for the papers.

“Makedon won’t like this. He’ll fight against you.”

“Thank you, Nikandros, for the warning but if Makedon wants to keep his position in this kingdom then he’ll do well to try and get along with the two princes.”

Nikandros leaves him with a bow and a promise he’ll come back safely. There’s no guarantee that Auguste will accept, but for his land and his people, he has to try.

\--

Nikandros had been right. Makedon had voiced his opinions all throughout the meeting the next day when Damen had announced his plans. Damen told him the exact same thing he told Nikandros and his mouth had closed immediately. He had made sure that the rest of his staff knew that as well. 

It takes three weeks for the reply to come and another few days before Damen’s body can actually relax. Ever since Nikandros left he lost more sleep than before waiting for the reply. He can breathe a little easier now that he knows the two brothers are actually coming. It won’t be for a couple more weeks since the Regent has passed and Auguste is trying to get used to being King, but he can, at least, rest a little easier now.

He had been planning the feast for a while and he hopes that everything will go according to his plan. Damen needs for this to work and he needs to be able to prove to Auguste and Laurent that he is not his father and he can do better than him.

Damen knows that people expect him to pick up where his father left off and they expect him to share his views. He can see it in the way his people look at him when he walks outside, but he’s not like his father—never has been. It’s time for the city to remember that.

When the time comes for the two brothers to come, the castle staff did nothing but gossip. He hears their tiny whispers, can hear the apprehensiveness in their words, but he knows they’ll warm up to this idea eventually. They’ll have to.

“King Auguste, Prince Laurent,” Damen announces with a warm smile. “I’m so glad you could come all this way! Did your trip go smoothly?”

“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry we couldn’t come sooner. Our Uncle seems to have made a mess of things before he passed so I had to make sure the kingdom wouldn’t fall apart when we left.”

Damn waves a hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it. I know the feeling.”

There’s a silence that falls over them and Damen takes a moment to really look at both of the brothers. He remembers the two brothers on the battlefield, Auguste standing tall and proudly fighting while Laurent had tried to do the same. He remembers admiring Auguste for never backing down from a fight even if the odds were beyond scary for the Land of Vere. He remembers the flashes of bright blonde and when Damen had come in close contact with the two he could see how their eyes shone with an icy blue. They had been filled with determination, clothes full of blood from Akielons. Now the two of them look relaxed and their eyes are still bright but they look satisfied. Damen just hopes it stays that way.

Damen’s eyes can’t help but longer on Laurent. The people of his land seem to be wary of this young man, but Damen can’t see why. They say he must be evil if he’s a Veretian but Laurent didn’t look evil on the battlefield and he doesn’t look evil now, but now Damen is seeing Laurent for the first time without a sword in his hands.

He looks…beautiful. More beautiful than Damen can describe. He had heard that Laurent is no more than thirteen, but that can’t possibly be true. He has to be fifteen—sixteen at the most. He definitely takes after his brother but they are somehow completely different and Damen won’t mind waiting until the day the younger brother turns eighteen to properly court him.

He forces his eyes away to look back at Auguste and there’s a knowing glint in them that has Damen scrambling for an excuse to leave. He doesn’t need any unnecessary questions right now.

“I’ll have Nikandros show you two to your room. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of a meeting when you arrived so I’ll have to go back to that, but I’ll see you at the feast tonight. Until then, please make yourselves at home.”

He gives them both one last smile, his eyes trailing over to Laurent one last time before turning to leave. He hears Nikandros talking to the brothers in low voices as he scurries out of the hall. Those brothers…both of them could end up being dangerous, but Damen just hopes that they end up on his side rather than every working against him. Somehow he thinks that those two could take over the world if they were given the option.

\--

The Dinging Hall is filled with all kinds of people, all of them laughing and getting drunk on all the wine. Drink after drink goes down and soon his people forget that the people from Vere are people they are supposed to hate.

Makedon is nowhere to be found but Damen had only just told him the news, so he’ll give it a few days.

Damen watches from his throne as people crowd around Laurent and he watches as the younger man tries to fend them off. He knows that his people won’t touch him but he can’t help but grip his goblet tighter. If one of them so much as even touches Laurent, it could mean the end of Laurent and Auguste’s stay.

It is tempting to go down and save the poor man but he doesn’t think Laurent would take kindly to that, and he doesn’t want to make Auguste suspicious of him.

“It seems your people can’t keep away from my brother,” Auguste says with a laugh, something that fills Damen with confusion. Isn’t he supposed to be angry that his brother is getting all this attention? Isn’t he angry that someone could possibly touch Laurent without the young man’s permission? “It’s no surprise really. He takes after me after all.”

Damen can’t argue with that. If it wasn’t for the noticeable age difference and the fact that Auguste’s blonde hair is long enough to be in a pony-tail, Damen would have thought the two of them were twins.

Damen watches as Laurent hesitantly takes the outstretched hand of one of the girls, her face flushed from the all the alcohol she had been drinking. From his spot on the throne, he sees Laurent blush, making him look a lot younger than before, and it makes a part of Damen want to get up and intervene but he continues to refrain himself.

“Oh man. Laurent is still learning how to dance properly. For being only thirteen, his mind is more graceful than his feet.”

So it’s true. Laurent is only thirteen. He looks so much older—so much more mature than other thirteen-year-olds he has seen.

Maybe he should feel guilty for letting his gaze linger on Laurent this whole night, but it’s not like he can help it. He’s already amazing and someone Damen can see himself with when the younger man hits the appropriate age of eighteen.

“Do you mind rescuing my brother from that awful woman? I’d do it but I’m not sure how comfortable your people are with Veretians yet. Besides, he has been looking forward to talking with you all day.”

It’s an excuse, clear as day. It’s obvious that Auguste doesn’t mind the woman who’s stumbling and making a fool of herself, in fact, his eyes are practically dancing with amusement, but he’s giving Damen an excuse to talk to Laurent.

He shouldn’t be all that surprised. Auguste isn’t stupid. He probably recognized Damen’s attraction to Laurent from this morning when he had a hard time taking his eyes away.

“Right, well, then I’ll be right back.” He says as he stands from his throne. He ignores the curious looks from the people around them as he moves his arms over his head to stretch out the kinks in his muscles.

“Please, take your time.”

The words are mischievous, just as mischievous as the smile on Auguste’s lips. This isn’t just an excuse, it’s a test. A test for what exactly? He has a feeling that only Auguste knows.

All around him people start to whisper and Damen can see the confusion written on their features. Why is the crowned King coming out to the dance floor? Why is the crowned King going in the direction of Laurent? A part of the room went quiet and it seemed that even the music went low, a soft melody in comparison to the beating of his own heart.

He shouldn’t be this nervous to talk to someone, but this just isn’t “someone” Damen has to remind himself. This is someone who has caught his attention for so long, who has a permanent location in his mind even if Damen doesn’t want him to be there. Plus Auguste will take him down if he so much as does something stupid to hurt his little brother.

“Excuse me madam, but may I steal this gentleman for a little bit? I think your husband really wants to dance with you.”

Damen doesn’t know if she has a husband or not but he knows that she’s drunk enough to believe him, and he watches as she giggles and saunters off to find someone else to dance with. He sighs in relief, rolling his shoulders back to get rid of some of the tension that has made an almost permanent location in his muscles.

“Thanks for that,” Laurent begins and Damen turns to look at him. His pink still have a pink hue to them and there are beads of sweat starting to form over his brows. He’s probably sweating profusely in those stuffy looking clothes. “I thought I was the only bad dancer in the universe but I was so wrong. Does she really have a husband?”

“No,” Damen chuckles. “She’s drunk enough to believe anything right now. Would you like some fresh air?”

Laurent’s eyebrows rise up in curiosity and it has Damen scrambling for some kind of excuse. He didn’t for it to sound like _that._

“I just meant that you look like you could use some fresh air and since it’s turning into the fall season, the air will feel good on…your skin.”

Now he’s the one who’s probably blushing, can feel the heat slowly creep up the back of his neck. Maybe _he’s_ the one who needs to go outside.

“I did see that you had a garden. Could we possibly go out there? Flowers are my favorite.”

Laurent’s eyes briefly flicker up to look at his brother and Damen resists the urge to look over his shoulder. He can already feel the older brother staring at them both and he doesn’t have to look back to know that the same smile is still on his lips.

Damen holds out his arm, letting Laurent’s hand land on his bicep. He could have just led Laurent to the garden, but he thinks that by the way Laurent’s face lights up at the small gesture that it’s okay.

The walk to the garden is filled with Laurent asking questions about the artwork and the land. The conversation is light and Damen finds that his smiles come easy. There’s never a silent moment until they reach the garden and suddenly Laurent stills beside him.

“Is everything okay?” Damen asks cautiously. Last time he checked the garden had nothing wrong with it, and it still looks just as beautiful as it did in the summer.

“Yes,” Laurent breaths, sliding away from Damen as he walks forward to examine the flowers in front of him. “Your garden is so beautiful. I try to keep a garden at our castle but it’s not as beautiful as this.”

Damen smiles as his chest swells with pride. He’ll have to tell the gardening staff what Laurent had said and he’s sure they’ll be all over Laurent, telling him advice and asking for his in return.

“Did you know that a lot of your flowers have the meaning of love? Your staff seems to have a romantic side.”

Laurent looks back at him and something must have shown on Damen’s face because the younger man starts to laugh, but before he can ask what’s so funny Laurent moves to examine some more flowers.

Damen watches as he reaches out to touch some of the red chrysanthemums. Laurent’s touch is so gentle and soft, the smile curling on his lips just the same. The moonlight shines down on him and for a moment, Damen’s breathing stops. The Laurent in front of him now seems so different than the Laurent he had seen on the battlefield. His features are softer and more radiant rather than hard and impenetrable.

He hopes that he’ll get to see so much more of this Laurent in the future.

“I was the one who convinced my brother to come, you know.” The confession is low and quiet that Damen almost didn’t catch it. It takes a few minutes to let the words really sink in before he replies.

“Thank you. I’m glad the two of you did come. I never wanted a war with Vere when I was younger, always wanted the two lands to come together. My father wouldn’t hear of it so I swore that when I ended up being King I would make sure to unite the two lands together, so this is my attempt.”

Another silence falls over them but it’s not uncomfortable. Damen is more than content to just watch Laurent talk about the flowers and their meaning and when he’s done, Damen’s sure he’ll have to tell his staff to plant a whole variety of flowers.

“I never knew flowers could hold so much meaning,” Damen says in astonishment making Laurent chuckle.

“Many people don’t know, but I’m pretty sure your staff planted so many red flowers as a joke. Though they’ve done a splendid job in keeping up with them all. Not a weed in sight.”

“My staff is going to have a huge ego because of you.”

This time, when Laurent laughs Damen really pays attention. His whole face seems to brighten up and it’s mesmerizing to watch. He commits the smile memory, knowing he may never get the chance to see this smile all the time—but he wants to.

Damen snaps out of his thoughts to find Laurent staring at him, his face is still shining from the laughter but only a fraction of the smile is there. He has been caught staring, can see it in Laurent’s eyes but for some reason that doesn’t bother Damen.

“Thank you for showing me this place, and maybe sometime during my stay I’ll find your staff out here and we’ll exchange tips.”

It seems harmless enough but Damen can hear something else in that tone and he’s not so sure that he likes it. It shouldn’t be too bad though and he knows the gardening staff takes an immediate liking to anyone that has any kind of knowledge of gardening.

They walk back to the dining hall with quiet conversation and just like he had done in the garden, Laurent freezes. Damen’s about to ask what’s wrong again when he spots Auguste. He’s in the middle of the dance floor, trying to dance with too many partners at once. It seems that his people are starting to warm up to the two brothers and it makes Damen ecstatic.

“Oh no, he’s had too much wine. If I let this go on any longer he’ll embarrass himself. I better go retrieve him and bring him to bed.”

The blush is back on Laurent’s cheeks and with a laugh, Damen lets Laurent go rescue his brother. People around them watch the scene curiously but Damen doesn't focus on them. He focuses on Laurent trying to get his older brother to cooperate and move out of the dining room. 

This will _definitely_ be an interesting couple of days.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ll write to you.”
> 
> The words are out of his mouth before they can even register in his brain, and he should probably take them back but Damen realizes that if he wants to court Laurent when he’s older, then it needs to start somewhere. Writing letters is a good one.
> 
> “I’ll hold you to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late upload! I was going to have it up Friday but I got busy and didn't have enough time but I have it to you now! I'm going to try and upload every Sunday. I'm hoping for that at least! 
> 
> Tumblr: http://writeitinred.tumblr.com/
> 
> As always I want to thank my lovely beta Toast_Senpai for always making my work 10x better!

Damen wakes just as the morning sun rises over the horizon, but instead of his usual grumbles he smiles instead. He lies in his bed as he lets his mind wander to the events of last night. Laurent hadn’t been able to get his brother back to his room because every time he had managed to grab his brother’s arm, Auguste managed to slip away. It had been very entertaining to watch and eventually Laurent just gave up and let Auguste make a fool out of himself.

Makedon hadn’t shown up for the whole night and Damen had the sneaking suspicion that he sat in his room all night and sulked. He’ll have to find him sometime today and talk to him about making an effort to actually talk to the two brothers.

It seems that his people are starting to take a liking to the two of them, even Nikandros who had danced drunkenly with Auguste for a while. Damen laughs at the memory and knows that he won’t let his best friend or the brother forget about it.

Damen slips out of bed as he moves to get dressed. He has sent away all his slaves and now that his father is no longer here, lets them have their mornings to sleep in for a little while. Some slaves were still getting used to the idea of not having to fall on their knees in front of him all the time, slaves that had been so close to his brother and father. Others seem to be taking the opportunity to spend the night with the one that they love, not that Damen is complaining. He wants the slaves to find love just like anyone else, and he would be lying if he said that it would put him in the good graces of the brothers.

He had heard a while ago that Auguste and Laurent didn’t like to keep slaves, and they like to do everything themselves if they can. It’s something that Damen has taken on in his castle even if some of the higher officials don’t quite agree with him yet. It’ll make this castle better in the long run, they’ll see.

He dresses in practice clothes and makes his way towards the practice room. He always practices in the morning since the rest of his day is usually filled with meetings upon meetings arguing with old men stuck in his father’s way. He has thought about letting the brothers sit in on the meeting just to see how they would react and what they would do. Damen wouldn’t mind if they put a few people at those meetings in their place.

He greets the slaves that are early risers and the ones that are running around trying to get breakfast made. Half of the castle will not be awake until the sun fully rises but Damen doesn’t mind. It gives him time to himself to think, to train, and to let out all his frustrations.

Except it seems that this morning he is not alone. He hears the sounds of metal scraping against metal before he sees it, and he watches the two brothers go at it from the doorway.

They may look alike but their fighting styles couldn’t be more different. Auguste’s style is light and free, bouncing on the soles of his feet to dodge Laurent’s attacks while Laurent’s attack are quick and wild. He is still quite young though and still has time to grow accustomed to the sword in his hand. By the looks of things he’s a quick learner.

Just because Auguste has a few years of experience on his brother doesn’t mean that Laurent is standing down. With every swipe of his Auguste’s sword, Laurent swings just as hard. They are both panting with exertion but the smiles lighting up their faces tell Damen they are having fun.

In the end, it’s Auguste who wins but by the way Laurent’s shoulder does’t droop he had been expecting the outcome since the fight started. It’s plain to see how much the two of them adore each other, and Damen feels a twinge of pain at the loss of his own brother.

How many times had he looked up at his brother with admiration? How many times had he done something just to seek the approval of his older brother?

Too many to count, but he’s glad that Laurent and Auguste still have each other. If they didn’t… If Damen had ended up killing Auguste then Damen doesn’t know how Laurent would have fared. He’s pretty sure he would never be able to see the smile lighting up his sharp blue eyes or the way his body relaxes upon seeing him.

If he gets to see the brothers’ smiling faces, then losing his family is the price he will have to bear.

“I’m surprised the two of you are up so early, especially with the night you had, Auguste. How are you feeling?”

Auguste smiles sheepishly and Damen can see the start of blush on those pale cheeks.

“Nikandros had made sure I went back to my room safely after I refused all of Laurent’s attempts. He is very…gentlemanly isn’t he? Though I wish he would smile more often.”

Damen snorts. “That’s Nikandros for you. He’ll warm up to you though and then you’ll never get him to shut up.”

The look on Auguste’s face tells Damen that he can’t wait for that day, and Damen can’t wait to see if the older brother will crack Nikandros’ defenses. He knows that his friend is very well guarded and even when they were both younger, Nikandros had problems opening up and being himself. He always had something to prove if not to Damen then to his father, and he hasn’t grown out of it.

“I’m sorry if we’re intruding on your time, but Nikandros had shown us this place yesterday and I wanted to make sure Laurent’s sword skills hadn’t gone rusty. With everything that’s been going on we haven’t had the time to practice.”

“Use it as much as you need,” Damen says as he makes his way over to pick up one of his swords. He flips it around in his hands to make sure it fits comfortably. “However, if you’re going to be in here with me, we might as well spar together. None of the guards will fight with their king, but I assume the two of you are up to the challenge?”

Laurent and Auguste turn to look at each other and Damen can tell the memories of the battle are coming to the forefront of their minds. He almost expects them to say no, that the heartache of the men they have lost is still too much to bear. But then they turn back to them. The corners of their mouths turn up into a smile and the same determined glint Damen saw in their eyes in battle returns now, but this time, it has more of a playful edge.

Both of them lower into their fighting stance and Damen continues to stand. He tries to make his face look impassive, but it’s been so long since he has had a proper fight with someone that he can’t help but feel the thrill of it all.

Laurent steps forward first and from that point, Damen knows it will be a two on one fight.

“Bring it on,” the younger brother says before launching himself at Damen.

\--

When the fight is over, Damen is bent forward with is hands on his knees, panting. It had been an excellent fight and while Laurent has a long way to go to master his swordsmanship skills, he still put up an admirable battle. He bets that with a few more years of training, Laurent will be up there with his brother. 

“It was two on one,” Laurent pants, rising up to wipe at his sweat-slick brow. “And you still managed to beat us. Is there no one who can win against you?”

“In a few years, I’m sure you could. Keep practicing.”

It is simple words of encouragement but Damen can see the way it makes Laurent’s eyes shine, but he can also see the hesitancy to believe Damen’s words. He finds himself wanting to know why only seconds later but before he can open his mouth there’s a knock at the door. They all turn around to see Nikandros

“Your breakfast is ready, my Lords. Though I’m sure you all should go take a bath or else Erasmus will have a fit. He just cleaned the dining room and probably doesn’t want it to smell like sweat.”

Nikandros’ gaze lingers a little more on Auguste and Damen knows his friend well enough to know that he’s making sure the male is all right. He smiles at the exchange in front of him, giving his friend a look that tells him that they’ll talk about it later.

“Also, Damianos, I’d like to remind you of your meeting in about an hour. You’ll be stuck with duties until the afternoon so I’d advise you to eat quickly and not be late.”

He leaves with a bow and Damen turns to look at the two brothers. “I completely forgot that I would have meetings today, but by the time I am done it will be perfect for a ride. Should I have my horses prepared?”

Both of the brothers nod but there’s more of a twinkle in Laurent’s eyes that has Damen pausing. He looks ecstatic, like someone just handed him a favorite toy, but he doesn’t have the time to worry about that now. If he’s late to his meeting Nikandros will have his head for sure, so he leaves the brothers in the training room with his thoughts all over the place.

\--

Meetings have and will always continue to be the biggest bore to Damen. He watches as the men in front of him argue over nothing and everything at once. They are still on the fact that Veretians are staying on their land and that someday the lands might come together as one.

“Oh, what would your father think?” one of them shouts as he falls back into his chair.

“He’s probably rolling around in his grave to imagine that those vile people are stepping on his land,” another says.

They are all testing his resolve. He may be known as a gentle King, but there are things that he just won’t stand for. His council insulting his guests is one of them. He rises immediately, his hands bracing against the table as he leans forward to address the people of his counsel.

“The only vile people here are you,” he growls, ignoring the looks of disgust and surprise thrown his way. “If you would just spend five minutes with them you would know that they are nothing of the kind you are referring to. They are sympathetic and will become very loyal allies when the time to go to war arises, and believe me, if you all keep running your mouths there will be one very soon. Now, I have had a treaty made long before his decision became public and I am going to ask the two of them to sign it when we go riding this afternoon. Anyone who does not care for this decision can walk out of the door and never come back. But let me tell you this: there will never be another kingdom as generous and temperate as mine, so if you want to keep your lives then I suggest you keep your mouths shut.”

His counsel stares at him like he’s someone they have never seen before, like he wasn’t his father’s son. But he is his father’s son because there had been a time when he thought the exact same way his council does, and he had wanted nothing to do with Vere. As he got older he had known that the things his father had said were _wrong._ By the time he became King, most of his people still agreed with his father but there had been a select few who didn’t mind the change. They had wanted a chance to ally with Vere just as much as Damen had.

“It’s time for this kingdom to change and that is final. Now, if this meeting is done I have somewhere else to be.”

The room is silent as he walks out of the room, save for a few murmurs of disapproval. If the council room is a little bit empty by the next meeting then good riddance. He doesn’t need people who are going to fight every decision he makes with petty excuses.

“What the hell was that back there?” Nikandros questions as he matches his strides with Damen’s. “You can’t just kick people off your counsel because they don’t agree with you.”

“And why not? Is it because that’s not what my father would do?” He snaps the words and Nikandros falls silent. “I’m showing them mercy by not having them executed. My father would have done that. Let me make this clear one more time, my friend. I am not my father and I will never be. It’s time for people to start recognizing that.”

Nikandros slows behind him and Damen continues to walk forward. He doesn’t have the time to argue with his friend about his unreasonable actions. He is already late meeting Laurent and Auguste so they’ll have to have the conversation later. He vaguely wonders if he’ll have a run-in with Makedon too. He didn’t show up to the meeting today either, which bothers Damen more than he would like to admit.

Damen breathes a sigh of relief when the sun touches his skin and he can take a deep breath of fresh air. It’s a beautiful summer day in Akielos. Not too hot but just perfect; an excellent day for a ride.

“I was beginning to think that you weren’t going to show up,” Auguste calls, already straddled atop of his horse. He looks to the brother’s side and notices that Laurent is nowhere to be seen.

“He’s in the stables still. I should have mentioned that my little brother loves horses and can spend a whole lot of time with them if given the chance.”

Damen makes his way towards the stables wondering what kind of scene he’ll walk into when he gets there. It certainly isn’t Laurent sitting next to one of the guards that were coming along on this trip, hands making sporadic movements as he talks away. Damen looks for any sign of tension but when Laurent stops talking the guard stands up to guide Laurent to one of the horses.

“This one is a beauty and I know that she’ll love you just as much as you’ll love her. Her name is Stella. A rare beauty if you ask me.”

Laurent doesn’t say anything but he doesn’t have to. The soft smile he wears is enough for Damen to know that he has fallen in love with the horse already. He watches as Laurent reaches a hand up, his movements slow so as to not startle her, and places it on the side of her neck. Stella jerks but Laurent whispers some encouraging words to get her calm and before Damen knows it Stella is knocking her nose into the side of Laurent’s head, a sign of her affection.

Laurent giggles, actually giggles, and Damen almost falls right then and there. It’s a charming sound, one that Damen has not heard the young prince make before. He had heard his infectious laughter in the garden last night, but his giggles were just as infectious.

“It seems that Stella has taken quite the liking to you,” Damen says, startling both Laurent and Pallas. “She was once my horse to ride you know, but I think she’ll become your official horse every time you visit. Pallas, is my horse ready to go?”

Pallas’ eyes widen and he scrambles to get his horse ready at the end of the stall. Damen laughs, knowing that the man will apologize to him when everyone is out of sight.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep him but he just said something about his love for horses and we fell into easy conversation. You have some beautiful creatures here.”

“You are seriously going to build my staff’s ego with every compliment.” Damen smiles at the blush that sweeps over Laurent’s cheeks. “But, you know, I’m pretty sure that when the actual stable keep is around she wouldn’t mind having some company. I’m sure by the end of the day the whole castle will be asking you for advice.”

Laurent turns his head away but Damen can see how red his neck is getting from receiving so many compliments. The frustration from earlier picks at him makes him want to run back into the room to drag his counsel out here to see what they are missing out on, but he forces the frustration back.

He has to believe that most of them will come to terms with their hatred and start to open their eyes. He can’t force them to like the Veretians but he can damn well control what they say in front of him.

“Sir, your horse is ready to go and there are some sandwiches in the bag in case you all get hungry.”

Damen turns towards Pallas to grab his horses’ reins and watches Laurent do the same. He doesn’t know how his kingdom will react when they learn that the land of Akielos has allied with the land of Vere. He’s sure there will be mixed reactions. Some people will like it and some will try and rise against it.

It all depends on how deep their loyalty lies with their father.

\--

“There is something that I want to ask the both of you.”

The ride had been wonderful between them all. Damen had shown them all his favorite spots to hang out when he was a little boy, had told them of the stories of what Nikandros would say to him every time he had tried to do something stupid. Auguste had joked that Nikandros must have saved his life many times over and Auguste doesn’t know how right that statement had been.

Now they were seated by a little creek, Damen dipping his feet in while Laurent and Auguste sit on nearby rocks. He doesn’t know how they can tolerate the layers of clothes they have on with all of the intricate designs. It must be stifling.

“If it’s about joining these two lands together then I’ve already thought long and hard about that,” Auguste says and something in his words makes Damen’s stomach sink. “Would it really be beneficial for our lands to come together? I’ve seen how your people react to our country, to us, and I can say with certainty that our people would react the same way if you came here. It would be an all-out mutiny if we joined forces.”

Damen doesn’t have the words to reply. What Auguste is saying is more than true. People are going to rise against the treaty if it were to be signed and if people didn’t know about it happening, then an uprising would be more than likely.

“Auguste, we don’t know if that will happen or not.”

Their eyes shift to Laurent who has his hands behind him on the rock, leaning back to avoid the sun shining through the trees.

“I say give it a chance. Plus, it’ll be beneficial to have Akielos on our side for wars, and it is the same for them. More people and more supplies means more chance of survival and victory.”

Something passes between the two brothers and Auguste turns to face Damen, irritation written all over his face while Laurent just wears a smug smile on his lips.

“If you can have the treaty ready for tonight’s dinner then that is when we will sign it.” The words are short and clipped, making Damen wonder what had been silently exchanged between the two brothers for his mood to shift suddenly.

“Then it is settled. Our lands will become allies.”

The rest of his afternoon is spent trying to get a feast prepared and to get someone to spread the message that the treaty will be signed at night. Auguste is still irritated by the time dinner rolls around, but that quickly vanishes when the wine is introduced.

He sees Nikandros taking a step forward, standing close to Auguste just in case there happens to be a repeat of last night. He smiles brightly at his friends who quickly averts his eyes to the crowd and just like that they were okay again.

The treaty is brought out before the food and people watch eagerly as it placed before the two Kings. The whispers start and then stop as the pen is handed over to Damen first.

“With this treaty, I promise that whenever you need us we will be there for you.”

It’s all he says before he signs the bottom of the page. He hands the pen over to Auguste who returns the same sentiment.

Just like that, the signing of the treaty is over and people are cheering and dispersing to congratulate Damen and Auguste.

“I hope that for your sake this was the right thing to do,” Auguste says to him. Damen opens his mouth to reply but the man is already gone before he can say a word.

“Don’t mind him. He’ll eventually get over the fact that I’m always right. This will be great for both of our lands but he just needs to see the proof before he starts to accept it, and he’s anxious to get back to the castle. He wants to leave tomorrow, but this won’t be the last time we hear from you, right?”

Laurent looks so hopeful, so _honest_ , that Damen can’t help but nod his head in agreement.

“I’ll write to you.”

The words are out of his mouth before they can even register in his brain, and he should probably take them back but Damen realizes that if he wants to court Laurent when he’s older, then it needs to start somewhere. Writing letters is a good one.

“I’ll hold you to it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more or less like a filler chapter. The next chapter will definitely be much longer since I'll be writing about Damen courting Laurent and all their fun adventures. Plus, there's a little bit of smut in the next chapter and the tags will finally grow a little longer! 
> 
> Also thank you guys so much for the love! I really appreciate it and it gives me so much motivation to keep on going! 
> 
> Tumblr: http://writeitinred.tumblr.com/

_Dear Laurent,_

_I promised that I would write to you didn’t I? I hope that your travel back to your country went well. I’m a little worried that a group of bandits got to your horses before you made it back to Vere, so please write back as soon as you can._

_I’m so glad that you and your brother came to my land and signed this treaty, and while I know that many of my people are not happy with the decision to join lands it will benefit both of us in the long run._

_I hope that one day I’ll be able to make a journey to your land and see your country the way it should be seen, and hopefully by the time I arrive you’ll be able to beat me in a fight. You’re pretty close._

_Sincerely,_

_Damen_

_\--_

_Dear Damen,_

_I can assure you that our horses and men were not harmed on our trip back to our land. If we had been ambushed, I would have protected my brother and horses with my life. I’m sure my brother told you my love for horses, but it should have been obvious when you were spying on me and Pallas in the stable._

_I know that you’ll be at our country soon enough, Auguste can’t stop talking about your fighting style. Believe it or not, you made an unforgettable impression on him, and he won’t forget you. When your letter arrived, our nation was still pretty chaotic with the death of our uncle and Auguste had been about to throw it away, but I stopped him just in time._

_He won’t tell you this, but I will as payback for all the embarrassing stories he probably told you when you two were alone. He’s glad to have met the real King Damianos instead of the King people talked about in rumors. He’s glad you’re not your father and want to run your kingdom the way you want it to._

_Excuse me, I’ve been rambling, but one last thing before I end this letter._

_The rematch is another thing I’ll hold you to._

_Sincerely,_

_Laurent_

_\--_

_Dear Laurent._

_No, go ahead and ramble. I barely heard you talk when I was around, but then again I had been talking to your brother the whole time, which I am terribly sorry for._

_The only time I heard you open up is when you were talking about the garden and the horses. It’s okay to keep talking because I want to learn more about you._

_By the way,_ _I told the garden and my stable keep what you said and they all hounded me with more questions. They hope you’ll be back soon to give them the “tips” you have hidden in your mind since their hopeless King can’t give any._

_Also, if the two of you ever come back, I’d like to have you two sit in on a meeting. Makedon and the others are starting to at least come around a little bit, though I’m sure if you can hold your alcohol Makedon will become one of your best friends. He just has to learn to give it up._

_I’m sorry that I couldn’t introduce you and Auguste to them last time because all of them kept throwing tiny tantrums whenever I mentioned the two of you. The council seems a lot less…full after I told them they could leave._

_Did I do the wrong thing by sending some of the council away for arguing against me? I’m sure they were expecting to be executed, but I could never end someone’s life because they argued against my beliefs._

_Hope all is well,_

_Damen_

_\--_

_Dear Damen,_

_You flatter me too much. I really should just send my staff over there, that’s where I learned most of my tips. Though I guess we could spare another return to your land, and maybe you can show us some more of the spots where you and your brother used to go._

_Don’t worry, about the not knowing me part and the council part. You’ll get to know me soon enough with these letters. Besides, I was on your tail the whole time trying to figure you out that I never really got a chance to introduce myself._

_With the council, you didn’t do the wrong thing. You showed mercy in a place where your father would not, and that will show the castle and your people that you are not your father. I mean, they really should have figured it out the moment we arrived but some of them probably just need a little more help._

_You sound just like my brother in the fact that he thinks he won’t make a great King when in fact he already is, and so are you. Your people love you, just like the people in my land love my brother. The two of you just have to figure out that little fact._

_Don’t think so much about it, okay?_

_Laurent_

_\--_

_Dear Laurent,_

_Thank you._

\--

It’s just two little words but it makes Laurent’s heart soar all the same. He tries to play it cool because his brother is looking at him from across the table but he can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips.

Damen had kept his word. He had written to him over and over and Laurent would be lying if he said it didn’t make him giddy. It doesn’t matter that Damen didn’t talk to him much during their stay because the letters made up for it.

In truth, ever since they have arrived back in Vere Laurent has been dedicating every waking moment to training. He wants to win when he meets Damen again, wants to prove that he’s just as skilled with a sword as his brother and with this training he will be. His muscles may ache but it’ll be worth it to see the look of surprise on Damen’s face.

“I wonder why Damen has written to you but not me,” Auguste muses as he shoves a piece of fruit in his mouth. There’s a glint of mischief hiding in those eyes and Laurent places the letter face down instead of indulging his brother. “Maybe it’s because he wants to court you some day?”

Laurent almost chokes on a piece of fruit. He coughs and sputters, reaching for his glass of water to get the food down.

“Brother, you can’t just say stuff like that! Besides, you’re wrong.”

His brother has to be wrong. Damen didn’t look at him like _that_ while they were both at Akielos. He had been looking at Auguste the whole time instead of him. He had been just someone that was there, not someone that Damen would notice.

Auguste hums his disagreement and Laurent leaves before the want to throw something at his brother’s head becomes a need.

\--

_Dear Damen,_

_My brother just had a ridiculous notion this morning. He said that you were thinking of courting me? Is he wrong? I mean if he’s not wrong then that’s okay but if he is wrong then I would like to hear it from you._

_Laurent_

\--

_Dear Laurent,_

_I’ve been thinking for a few months of how to reply to this, and I’m sorry for that. I’m sure I’ve worried you, but your brother is right. From the day I saw you on the battlefield I hoped that I would have a chance to be able to court you properly._

_However, I don’t want to court you at this very moment. I will wait until you are of the age of eighteen before I do anything. If you can wait five years, then I will come to Vere with the intention to ask your brother if I can court you. I know your brother’s approval means everything to you._

_If that’s alright with you,_

_Damen_

_\--_

_Dear Damen,_

_Maybe you know me better than I thought, but if you need to ask my brother then you have some more learning to do. When you arrive, my brother will already know what you’re arriving for. He knows what your intentions are and he knows that they are good ones. It seems that you have earned my brother’s trust already, and wholeheartedly at that too._

_You not only have his trust, but mine too._

_I know that you’ll take good care of me, Damen. So, the answer to your question is yes I can wait for five years for you to come._

_Will you tell me how it would be with you? What makes you different from the other men that have tried to come to my brother with the same intent as you?_

_Truly yours,_

_Laurent_

_\--_

_Dear Laurent,_

_I will court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve._

_I will wait for you until you’re ready. I will tell you how beautiful you are each and every day because you deserve to know, and if I forget then you have the right to be mad at me._

_You deserve the world, Laurent, and I’ll try my best to give it to you._

_\--_

_Dear Damen,_

_You don’t have to try, Damen. You already have._

\--

Five years have passed since Laurent sent that letter to Damen, and five years later the words still ring true. They never stopped writing letters to each other with every letter that Damen had sent to him, the words kept getting sweeter and sweeter. It got to the point where Laurent had to start reading them in his bedroom so his brother wouldn’t tease him about the flush to his cheeks.

Five years later and Laurent is now eighteen and awaiting Damen’s arrival to ask his brother for permission to court him.  

Laurent shouldn’t be anxious about this and his stomach shouldn’t be all up in knots. He knows that Auguste will agree but there’s still that possibility of rejection and Laurent doesn’t think he’ll be able to take that if it does happen.

There’s a knock on his bedroom door and Laurent takes one last look at himself in the mirror. He has definitely grown since the last time Damen has seen him, and he looks a lot more like his brother. All of his baby fat has grown into lean muscle, and his hair has grown a bit more but other than that he’s still the same Laurent as before.

He looks down at his palms, still smooth even though they should be rough and calloused due to all the sword practice he has done over the years. Even if his hands don’t show it, he hopes that his swordsmanship will.

“Prince Laurent, if you don’t come now, you’ll miss meeting King Damen.” One of the castle workers says through the door, their voice lit with excitement as it should be. He has been spending years telling the people who work here about Damen that Laurent thinks they’ve fallen in love with him as well.

“Coming.”

He gives himself one more glance before turning to meet the worker, their feet moving quickly through the hall. He has spent too much time fretting in his room when he should have been in the throne room, waiting for the arrival of Damen.

It’s only fifteen minutes past nine in the morning, so if Damen had made his arrival already Damen and his brother will just be greeting each other.

When he and the castle worker arrive at the entrance of the throne room, he lets the workers hands fix his clothing. The lady before him looks just as anxious as he feels and Laurent supposes she has a good reason to be as well. The whole staff has been preparing for the feast tonight non-stop this week, and Laurent doesn’t know how to thank them enough. Damen deserves nothing but the best tonight.

When he arrives in the throne room, Damen is standing in front of Auguste and the two of them are smiling. His heart soars at the sight, and maybe it decides to jump up in his throat when those golden brown eyes turn to look at him. He doesn’t know what to say to Damen but he hopes that his eyes portray his feelings better than his face.

“Brother.” Auguste greets when he stands next to his brother. “Nice of you to join us. Now, Damen, I know you want to ask my permission to court my younger brother. That’s not necessary because I’ve seen how happy you’ve made him and that’s all I can really ask for. I just have one question, though, would you do anything for my younger brother? Would you give your life to protect my brother?”

Damen’s eyes shift to Laurent and it’s filled with such intensity that Laurent has to look away.

“Yes, if Laurent’s life was in danger I would stop at nothing to make sure he’s safe.”

“Then that’s all that matters. Congratulations, Damen. You can now officially court my brother, but just know that I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.”

Laurent’s body is practically humming with excitement as Damen takes the remaining steps toward him, reaching for his hand. Words seem to escape him at this moment and he can feel the slow burn of his blush creep up his neck.

Laurent doesn’t know how he can grow into this quick-witted thing over the years, but once Damen enters the room he’s a mess.

“Thank you for waiting,” Laurent says as he watches Damen’s head dip down to press a kiss to his knuckles. The kiss makes his skin tingle and it makes Laurent think about what it would feel like to have those lips trail over his lips, neck, or anywhere on his body. Laurent’s sure he’ll have more than enough time to figure it out.

“I would wait for you forever if you asked me to.” The words are cheesy but Laurent knows that the man means it.

“Well, I’m going to go but just remember that there is a feast tonight. Don’t be late.”

The words don’t register until his brother is out of the room and then he realizes that he’s alone with Damen, and the nerves come slamming back in. He doesn’t really know what he’s supposed to be doing, but he wraps his hand around Damen’s anyway and tugs him towards the door.

“I’ll show you around the castle. There are many of my people and guards who want to meet you, and I think there was something about a rematch in our letters? I’ve been practicing.”

The corners of Damen’s lips tug up and Laurent thinks that he can almost replace the sun with that gorgeous smile.

“Then by all means, lead the way.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am awfully sorry that this has been uploaded so late but I've been really busy and then last night I got sick but here it is! The new chapter is up! There is no smut in this chapter, so I lied about that but it will be in the next chapter! 
> 
> Thank you guys for all of the love! It makes me so happy to see that all of you are loving this fic! 
> 
> I'd like to thank Toast_Senpai who fixes all of my mistakes over and over and still stays my friend afterwards! You're a beautiful and wonderful person. 
> 
> Tumblr: writeitinred.tumblr.com

Laurent has been in this training room countless times and yet, this time feels totally different. He knows it’s because Damen is here to see how his training has come along. It’s been five years and although his body looks like he hasn’t had much training, all lean lines and a little muscle, he has been able to defeat some of the best guards in the castle. If that doesn’t say something then he hopes that this match with Damen will.

He turns to face Damen, a small gracing his lips as he watches the man take in the room. It’s nothing much, just a bunch of punching bags and weapons that fit any man’s hand. It may not be like Damen’s training room, but it still helps all of their men train to their potential, including him.

When he first had started training, Auguste had been in here to see him through. But after a while Laurent sent his brother away. It hadn’t been because he thought that Auguste couldn’t coach him, but rather because he didn’t want to be taught his brother’s way of fighting. He had wanted to create a fighting style of his own, one that wouldn’t echo Auguste.

So he practices with Jord every day, knowing that his guard reports back to his brother after each training session. His brother and guard won’t saying anything about it, nevertheless it’s pretty obvious.

“Are you sure we should fight before the feast? We might not have time for a bath.”

Laurent picks up his favorite sword, knowing that the hilt will settle in his palm just right. It took him forever to find the perfect sword but once he had, he made sure to keep it away from the rest.

He walks to the center of the room, pointing his sword directly at Damen.

“My staff has already made sure that a bath will be prepared for us in our rooms. Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

Damen smiles, and it is something that makes Laurent’s heart beat faster. He has dreamed of this moment over and over. Every possibility and every outcome have went through his head. Now that Damen is actually here it seems that those images, dreams, and thoughts have gone. All that’s left is a future result that Laurent can’t predict, and it unnerves him immensely.

Damen picks up one of the swords, inspecting it and letting it jump in his hand to test the weight and how it sits in his palm.

“If I would have known you wanted a dual right away, I would have changed into my practice wear. I am curious, though, to see how much you’ve grown over these few years.”

They are circling each other now, accessing the other like a lion would to its prey. Laurent is tempted to strike first but then Damen would just defend and push him back, making Laurent stumble. He will have the upper hand and Laurent can’t give that to him.

Damen is just as amazing on defense as he is on offense, something that Laurent wishes he could be great at as well but Laurent can hold his own. Jord is the best as they come in this castle, and he will not let their training sessions go to waste.

He steps forward, his sword raised to strike. Damen meets the strike head on, the metallic clash ringing throughout the room. From there it’s a blur of steel and sparks, grunts and taunting. He is knocked over countless benches, throwing Damen into a mess of footwork but it doesn’t matter what Laurent does because Damen is always one step ahead of him. It’s frustrating and exhausting, and when he’s on his back with their chests rising and falling with each exerting breath, Laurent can feel the fury simmer in his veins.

He has _failed._ He has failed Jord in every way possible.

Laurent tries to jerk his hands out of Damen’s hold and he tries to find some leverage to flip them over. Damen is too strong. He has done all of this training and it’s _still_ not enough to defeat this man. Yet, when he looks at Damen there is no sense of pride or satisfaction in those eyes like Laurent thought there would be, but there _is_ a sense of hunger that takes Laurent’s breath away.

There have been countless suitors that have come his way over the years, but none of them had looked at him like _that._ It makes him squirm and this time when he tugs his hands out of Damen’s grip, they slip out with ease.

He takes the opportunity to hook his feet under Damen’s calves, using all his strength to turn him over, straddling Damen’s waist and pinning his shoulders to the ground.

“Getting distracted could be your downfall one of these years.”

“Well if my downfall is staring at someone so beautiful, then death won’t be so bad.”

The words take Laurent back, heat slamming into his cheeks before he even knows what’s happening. None of his suitors have said that to him, but then again none of the suitors had been Damen. He doesn’t know why his brother even bothered with having suitors come and go when all Laurent had ever wanted was Damen to court him.

“I think you’re a little delusional. I’m just a man.”

Damen lifts his hand to Laurent’s cheek and Laurent doesn’t fight the way he nestles into the warm palm. He has always been told that he is beautiful, but Damen is the first one that has started to make him feel like he actually is. He finds himself craving more of it.

“Prince Laurent,” someone announces, making both of them jump. He slides off Damen’s lap, helping the man up from the ground before turning to face Lazar. “The king would like to remind you that the feast will soon commence.”

Laurent doesn’t miss the way Lazar’s eyes slide over Damen distrustfully, but that’s just because all of his men are protective of him.

“Thank you, Lazar. We were just going to go get ready.”

Lazar bows and turns to leave.

“Hopefully your guards don’t think I’m already trying to take advantage of you,” Damen laughs. “I’m sure I’ll be getting a lot more of those stares tonight.”

Laurent sighs as he starts to walk out of the training room. It had been like this with all the other suitors as well, which is why every one of them had fled back to their homeland. He just hopes that Damen is strong enough to hold against his men. Though judging by the way he understood Lazar’s suspicions, Laurent thinks Damen will be okay.

“Come on, I think it’s time for a bath. You smell, and my guards won’t stand for smelly suitors.”

Damen laughs and Laurent thinks Damen will definitely be okay.

\--

Laurent’s nerves are set on edge when both of them enter the feast. He wants that everything goes as planned. Ever since his uncle died, Auguste has done everything in his power to get rid of all the cruel and harsh entertainment. He knows that Damen would have never agreed to watch that and Laurent is glad that won’t be in tonight’s entertainment.

“I’m happy to see the two of you made it on time,” Auguste teases as he pours Damen a glass of wine. “I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to entertain the guests without you. Who won by the way?”

“Damen—”

“Laurent—”

Damen chuckles, “It was a tie. Laurent’s skill with the sword has grown over the year. If he keeps it up, he’ll be able to beat me no problem.”

The look that Auguste gives Laurent seems to say, ‘ _you would have won if I kept teaching you.’_

Laurent rolls his eyes and tugs on Damen’s sleeve to bring him away from his brother. All throughout the dining hall staff members are bringing food to all the guests, people laughing and smiling, and it makes Laurent’s heart sore to see it. When his uncle had been around everyone had always looked so serious, like a feast wasn’t meant to be enjoyed. But now there are smiling faces; a testament to how great his brother is and will continue to be.

“Prince Laurent,” Jord greets him as they sit down. “I heard about your little match with King Damianos.”

His last words are hard and cold, something that makes the frustration that has long past rise in him again. He puts a hand over Damen’s, giving it a gentle squeeze before replying.

“I can assure you, Jord, that Damen didn’t defile me on the dirty floor of the training room. That comes much later.”

He can hear Damen choke on his wine and he watches as Jord’s eyes widen in disbelief that any kind of dirty thought ever passes through Laurent’s mind. It’s time that his guards stop thinking he’s a little child that needs protecting. He has grown and he can make his own decisions.

“You guys are just going to have to get used to the fact that Damen is here to stay. Just because you scared off the rest of my suitors doesn’t mean you can do that to Damen. Now, go back to having fun and just let your guard down for a while, okay? I’ll still be here by the end of the feast.”

Jord fumbles to say something, but when he can’t find any words he bows and grudgingly turns to go talk to the rest of his team.

“I’m sorry. They are all protective of me, but they will warm up to you eventually.”

“I completely understand. All of my men are the exact same way.”

How could Laurent forget? Every time Laurent had moved, his men were staring at him like had been looking at him like he was a threat. He knows that when he and Auguste had arrived at Akielos the country had just started to come around to the idea of the brothers being there, but it still felt like he shouldn’t have been out roaming the castle.

He understands why his team is protective of him too, but it’s time for them to back off a little. Damen isn’t going to hurt him despite what happened on the battlefield. If Laurent had any sort of inclination of danger he would have cut Damen off without a second thought, but… Damen won’t hurt him.

Laurent has known this from the first visit, from the sweet words in all those letters that Damen will only lay a hand on him in the gentlest ways. He may look giant and intimidating, but Damen is really a huge teddy bear.

Laurent plucks one of the sweet meats off a passing tray, giving a sly smile to Damen as he brings it to the man’s lips. He can feel his brother’s eyes on him as well as the guards as he feeds Damen the food, but it’s easy to ignore them when he can feel Damen’s tongue slide across the tips of his fingers.

He takes his fingers away quickly, turning to face away from Damen as he wills his heart to stop beating so hard. That had been a stupid decision, a _really_ stupid decision. When he risks another look at Damen he can see the man smirking, looking proud of himself.

So maybe Laurent lied. Maybe Damen _is_ dangerous.

“Care for a dance?” Damen asks right away.

Is he planning to kill him? His heart has barely stopped pounding and he’s asking for a dance? Laurent wants to refuse but with Damen looking at him with hope in eyes he can’t say no. So he takes Damen’s hand and lets the man guide him to the dance floor.

“I have to warn you, I’m not the best dancer. I may look graceful when I’m fighting, but dancing is another story.”

Damen laughs as he slides a hand around Laurent’s waist, their hands still wrapped around each other as they start to move with the music.

“It’s okay. I got you.”

Throughout the dance there is only been a couple of stumbles but each time Damen just laughs and they begin again. Laurent doesn’t pay attention to the music or to the people around them, but he does notice the way Damen laughs at the littlest of things or the way Damen’s hands feel so warm and right on his skin. He takes note of how Damen’s eyes light up whenever he looks down at him and it makes his stomach roll with nerves.

This man is so beautiful and amazing that it almost hurts Laurent to look at him, but he can’t. Maybe it’s the way he’s so confident in this castle. He doesn’t mind that his men have glared at him non-stop this whole feast because he understands that it’ll take time for them to get used to the idea of an Akielon courting their prince.

The music stops but Damen doesn’t move his hands away. They stand there looking up at each other until the music starts again and their feet are moving once more. This time Laurent doesn’t stumble or trip but instead he moves to keep up with Damen.

“See, I knew you could do it.”

There is no mocking in his voice like there would be with any of his dance teachers, and his voice is warm and encouraging. How could anyone actually hate this man? 

By the time the song stops, Laurent can feel the sweat sliding down his brow. His clothes are suddenly uncomfortable and being this close to somebody who might as well be his own body heater, he has to step back.

“Why don’t we go outside and take a walk? You can show me the garden you’ve talked so much about in your letters.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea.”

He shoots his guards a look that tells them not to follow as he guides Damen out to the gardens, the soft summer breeze clinging to his skin as he cools down.

He hears Damen whistle and when he turns to look at him he finds the man examining the flowers all around him.

“You weren’t kidding about your garden. My staff would definitely be envious of this.”

“Don’t worry, I told my staff about your gardeners and they really want to meet them. I think if any of our staff come together it will be the stablemen and gardeners.”

They settle into easy conversation after that. Damen keeps asking questions about the flowers and listens to every word Laurent has to say. By the time they make it around the garden Laurent is sure that Damen knows plenty about flowers.

“Thank you,” Damen says when they stop near the gate. He looks even more beautiful in the moonlight with the way it lights up his skin and hair that the butterflies he has tried so hard to contain have broken out of their cage.

“For showing you around the garden?”

“No,” Damen chuckles. “For waiting. I know you have had countless people come in here wanting to court you, and yet you still waited for me.”

Damen’s knuckles brushed over his cheek and Laurent finds himself coming up to grab his hand, keeping it near as he looks in Damen’s eyes.

“Do you still plan to give me the world?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Damen breathes out, and Laurent closes his eyes as he lets that one word course through him.

They stay that way, neither of them talking but just taking in the other’s presence. The wind is blowing softly, and it’s just so calm that Laurent doesn’t want this moment to end.

“Can I kiss you?”

Laurent’s eyes open and he realizes how close they actually are. All Damen has to do is bend down a little more and their lips will touch. Laurent would be lying if he said he never thought of this moment before. The way his lips feel, if his kisses are soft like his touches, or rough like his fighting style.

“Please.”

Damen’s lips are soft just like his kisses, and maybe Laurent had been expecting something completely different but he finds himself pressing back all the same. He slides his free hand around the side of Damen’s neck as he presses himself closer to Damen’s body.

“Prince Laurent.”

Both of them jump back as they turn to look at the intruder. Laurent almost groans in irritation as he stares at Jord. If he didn’t know better he would say there’s a satisfied gleam in those eyes.

“Your brother is worried about you. I think you both need to go back inside.”

It’s an obvious lie, one that sends his temper flaring but he reels it in when Damen places a hand on his shoulder. It calms him down enough to walk past Jord without strangling the man.

“Why don’t we go out for a ride and a picnic tomorrow? You can show me your favorite spots to lounge, and I will kiss you as many times as you want me to.”

Laurent hums at the idea, taking Damen’s hand in his as they enter the dining hall once again.

“I like the sound of that.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really late and I have no excuse other than homework and I've been catching up on reading. I think this is just going to have one more chapter, but don't worry I'll still write some more captive prince things! This was originally supposed to be a one shot but I decided to make it a chaptered fic, so here is the next chapter! 
> 
> Thanks to Toast_Senpai who takes time out of her day to fix every mistake I make! You're awesome.
> 
> Tumblr: writeitinred.tumblr.com

True to his word Damen brings Laurent out for a ride, albeit a ride where none of the guards are even awake, but a ride none the less. A picnic basket hangs on the side of his saddle, filled to the brim with all of Laurent’s favorite foods for breakfast and lunch. It hadn’t been hard to convince the cook to make them food. One smile and the cook had been more than willing to stuff the basket with so much food that Damen plans to drag out their alone time until afternoon.

He plans to show Laurent that all the promises he made in those letters are true and not just pretty words to get the young prince to choose him. Laurent deserves the world and he’ll spend his whole life proving it if that’s what it takes.

Damen had made sure to ask Auguste last night to keep Jord and his men at bay while he took Laurent out for a ride. While Auguste had only told Damen he would try his best, the twinkle in his eyes told Damen enough. He knows why Jord is protective of Laurent and Damen respects that, but the look Laurent gave Jord last night had been like a lion ready to pounce on his prey. Alone time is definitely needed today.

“I remember how well you rode the horse back in Akielos.”

It’s not something that Damen can easily forget. Laurent had been so at ease, every muscle in him relaxed, even on a horse that he only met a few minutes before that ride. The horse had been one of the skittish ones, but she took to Laurent like the two had known each other for ages.

It is no different now that Laurent has his own horse to ride. He looks at ease—confident—on his horse, like his place is exactly astride the saddle.

“I’ve always been able to bond easily with horses, but it’s not like they are exactly hard to connect with. Treat them with respect and they’ll do the same to you. Sarah here has been my horse for a couple years now.”

The way Laurent strokes Sarah’s mane makes Damen’s heart fill with warmth, trying to hide the smile that wants to come out. It’s a beautiful sight to see, one that Damen is entirely grateful for.

For just a moment he can imagine what Laurent had been like as a child, surrounded by all of his horses and how happy he must have been. He can imagine what Laurent would have looked like training them, those icy blues alight with joy and a smile on his lips as the horses nudge him with their noses.

It makes Damen regretful that his and Laurent’s land didn’t get along before now. Maybe he could have seen what the two brothers were like before the war took place.

“Do you want to race?” Laurent’s voice snaps Damen out of his thoughts and he turns to focus on the young prince. He looks disinterested, like he can’t possibly be bothered by the idea of a race but Damen knows better. His eyes are basically shining with mischief.

He knows that if Jord were here to hear Laurent ask that question, his face would have gone red with some type of rage. He also knows that Jord’s heart would probably stop as Damen’s heels dig into the sides of his horse, setting him off in a sprint. The morning breeze clings to their skin, goosebumps rising but they don’t bother them. They welcome the cool touch before the autumn heat comes in the afternoon.

It’s hard to focus on racing when Laurent is beside him, looking so much at ease and free with his hair whipping around him from the wind—totally at odds with the Laurent he has seen in the castle. It’s definitely hard to focus on racing when the crisp air reddens Laurent’s cheeks and a smile lining his lips makes him look so beautiful.

He wonders if this is another reason Jord and his men stay close to Laurent just so they can see the young prince look so carefree while he’s riding. Damen knows that is what he would do.

“Why are you so spacey?” Laurent asks as they settle into an easy pace once more. “I beat you with plenty of time to spare, and I’m sure you can ride much better than that.”

Damen shrugs as his answer, bringing his horse closer to Laurent’s.

“Please don’t tell me another one of your cheesy lines. I don’t think I can take it.”

Damen hums his disagreement as he leans in to kiss Laurent, hoping to keep any sarcastic remark from slipping past. He hopes that the horse isn’t protective of his owner like Laurent’s men, but as the seconds tick by the horse doesn’t move and Laurent’s mouth continues to move against his.

“I thought you were supposed to show me all your hot spots,” Damen says as he pulls back, a laugh escaping him as Laurent tugs him back down for another kiss.

“And I thought you were going to kiss me until we both get sick of it.”

Damen doesn’t think that’s possible, not when those lips part for him and Damen can dip his tongue in for a taste. He tastes wild and sweet, like the morning mist that still clings to their skin. As Damen slides a hand across the side of Laurent’s neck, his skin soft and smooth compared to the calluses that line his palm, he thinks that he can kiss Laurent for hours and never tire of it.

“All  right, I’m hungry. I can take at least a little break from kissing you to fill my demanding stomach.”

Damen gives Laurent one last kiss before pulling back. He jerks his head for Laurent to move ahead.

“Lead the way.”

\--

“My brother and I never really had any other hot spot except for this little lake,” Laurent says as he takes another bite from a strawberry, his bare feet kicking through the water. “Our uncle never let us go out much but when he did we usually came here and took a quick swim. It had been a way for my brother to relax after our uncle made him attend meeting after meeting, but he doesn’t get to make it out here much anymore. Kind of makes me glad that he’s the one who’s king and not me.”

Though Damen is sure that if Laurent were the king instead of Auguste he wouldn’t hesitate to go for rides by himself and just sit here, letting the wind caress his face with his head tipped back to take it all in. Damen knows that if Laurent accepts his proposal for marriage that he’ll let Laurent do all the exploring he wants, but something tells him that he’ll be right by Laurent’s side when he does.

Yet he knows that Laurent will be just as willing to help him with the politics of their lands, and Damen will be more than grateful for it. He’ll be grateful to have someone to talk his decisions over with, someone who won’t be afraid to tell him how idiotic some of his decisions can be. He knows that Laurent isn’t like his men who will tell him just what he wants to hear, and Damen knows it’ll stay that way.

“I haven’t been here in a while since I’ve been helping Auguste with politics, but I’ve never forgotten how peaceful it is.”

“Care to take a dip with me then?”

Laurent’s sharp eyes turn to him, his eyebrows rising in surprise. It’s a bold question seeing as though Veritians are covered from head to toe in fabric and he basically just started courting Laurent this morning. The question is out there though and he’s not going to be able take it back so he makes to stand, holding his hand out for Laurent.  

Laurent is still looking at him, calm and calculating but with a smile tugging at the edge of his lips. He eventually stands, his movements toward Damen almost feline. He moves with grace and Damen is more than captivated by the time Laurent is in front of him.

Laurent’s hands slide up Damen’s arms, flipping them over to reveal the complicated lacings of his clothing.

“Undress me.”

Damen takes the outstretched hand in his, bringing it to his mouth to press a kiss to the knuckles. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Laurent as he makes slow work of unlacing the strings, and with each inch of skin that shows Damen places a soft kiss to the delicate skin. To anyone else Laurent’s face looks unfazed by the treatment Damen is giving his skin, but he can see the flush rising to his cheeks.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Damen murmurs against Laurent’s skin. “How you never manage to pass out from the heat in the summer.”

“You grow used to it.” His voice is low and his breathing is labored, hitching slightly whenever Damen reveals another piece of skin.

When Damen slides the jacket off he’s surprised to see another shirt underneath. How many layers of clothing do they even have? He guesses he’ll find out soon enough. Tugging at the bottom of the shirt, Damen looks at Laurent in question. He won’t go further until Laurent tells him to.

“It’s okay. I know you won’t hurt me.”

The words almost make Damen’s knees buckle but he keeps upright somehow. He slides off Laurent’s shirt, revealing more of the smooth pale skin. He has never seen Laurent without a shirt even when he came to Akielos five years ago, and he knows that Laurent is skinny but he didn’t except to see defining muscles even though he should have. He may look scrawny but he can definitely hold his own in a fight.

It took Damen ten more minutes to unlace Laurent’s pants, but in the end it had been worth it. Laurent’s a beautiful sight to see, almost too sacred to even touch but the way his eyes cast downwards Damen can tell Laurent doesn’t see that.

“You’re beautiful, Laurent.”

Laurent’s eyes flicker upward to meet Damen’s for only a few seconds before looking away, the blush on his cheeks growing bright. Instead of answering Laurent reaches out to unclasp Damen’s chiton and Damen lets him. He lets the silky white material fall to the ground and let’s Laurent take him in.

“It’s probably a good thing that Jord isn’t here. Otherwise this would be really awkward.”

Damen laughs as he steps over his clothing, bending over to pick up their clothing to put them with their shoes. By the time he turns around Laurent is already in the lake, the bottom of his hair already darkened by the water. Damen joins him seconds later, sighing as his body relaxes with the cold water.

The sun shines high in the sky as the temperature starts to rise but they don’t feel it as they swim together, their conversation light. They splash water at the other, trying to distract the other long enough to pull them under the water. It doesn’t work and Laurent just ends up wrapping his arms around the back of Damen’s neck and Damen tries his best not to focus on the water droplets sliding down Laurent’s skin. He tries to keep his thoughts as pure as he can even though he wants nothing more than to run his lips over Laurent’s jaw, catching each water droplet that graces his skin.

“You seem to be holding back.”

“I don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with. Plus your brother and guards will kill me.”

Laurent hums as he leans down to kiss Damen. “We should just get married. Then there’s nothing my brother and men can really do to you.”

Damen blinks, letting the words register in his mind. He thinks that maybe it’s a good thing that they are in the water rather than land because Damen’s knees definitely would have buckled.

“Don’t give me that look, Damen. We’ve been writing to each other for five years, you’ve basically been courting me with your words and I’m not an idiot. I know that you will uphold every single promise you told me. A couple more dates and I’ll tell my brother how happy you make me and we’ll be able to start planning a wedding.”

All Damen can do is capture Laurent’s lips in a kiss, hoping that all of his thoughts pour into it. He should never underestimate this man, not when that sharp mind continues to work every second of the day.

The only reason why none of the other suitors are here is because Laurent never wanted them to be. He allowed them all to be hassled by his guard so that when Damen came there would no one else to compete with.

“Have I ever told you how brilliant you are?” 

“I don’t think so, but I can probably forgive you if you continue to kiss me.”

Damen smiles, leaning forward to drag his lips over Laurent’s jaw. He can feel Laurent’s pulse quicken beneath his mouth, head tilting to the side to give Damen more room.

“I think I can deal with that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated!


End file.
